JatimVoice.com – The Indonesian national football team will take on China in a pivotal 2026 World Cup qualifying match at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on Thursday, June 5, 2025. The match, kicking off at 8:45 PM WIB, will be officiated by Uzbek referee Rustam Lutfulin, who previously sparked controversy in a prior Indonesian match.
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Lutfulin will be assisted by compatriots Sanjar Shayusupov and Alisher Osmanov as assistant referees, with Asker Najafarev serving as the fourth official. Firdas Norsafarov and Abdulrashid Khudoyberganov, also from Uzbekistan, will handle VAR duties.
This is not Lutfulin’s first time officiating at Gelora Bung Karno. On November 19, 2024, he refereed Indonesia’s 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, a match marred by accusations of biased decisions favoring the visitors. Fans chanted “mafia” from the stands after Lutfulin issued a second yellow card to Indonesia’s Justin Hubner in the final minutes, forcing Indonesia to play with 10 men.
Both Indonesia and China are under pressure to secure three points in this match. A win for Indonesia’s Garuda squad would significantly boost their chances of advancing to the fourth round of qualifiers, while a loss for China could eliminate them from contention.
Indonesia heads into the clash with strong home form, having secured clean-sheet victories in their last two home qualifiers: 2-0 against Saudi Arabia and 1-0 against Bahrain.
Tags
2026 World Cup Qualifiers
China
clean sheet
football
Gelora Bung Karno
Indonesia
national
referee controversy
VAR